Six entering South Bend's hall of fame New members, others to be honored at Nov. 13 banquet

October 24, 2008

The South Bend Alumni Association has announced B. Patrick Bauer, Fred P. Crowe Jr., John Phair, the late Lester Sumrall, Jack Reed and Karen White as its 2008 inductees to the South Bend Community Hall of Fame. The association also announced its annual selection of Historical Inductees and Community Service awards. Individuals are singled out for their significant contribution to the image, development and welfare of the South Bend community by their service to others and/or their personal achievements. They will be honored at a banquet Nov. 13 at the South Bend Century Center with the social hour beginning at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7. Tickets ($50) must be purchased by Nov. 7 by calling 283-8153 or 299-1448. Joseph Szalay will be honored for his Outstanding Community Service. Other service awards include: Corporate Award: Towne Air Freight; Baldoni Public Service Award: Ann Puzzelo; Outstanding Achievement Award: Lt. Josh Thompson. Leopold Pokagon and Timothy Edward Howard will be honored as historical inductees. -B. Patrick Bauer: Since 1971, the South Bend St. Joseph's High and Notre Dame graduate has served as a member of the Indiana House of Representatives from St. Joseph County. Since Nov. 19, 2002, Bauer has served as Speaker of the House. He has been "State Legislator of the Year" more than a dozen times. He also is a member of the advisory boards at IUSB and the Urban Enterprise Association of South Bend Inc. He also serves as dean of external affairs at Ivy Tech State College. -Fred P. Crowe Jr.: One of the founding partners of Crowe Chizek and Co., Crowe helped build a company of 23 offices and more than 2,400 personnel with its core purpose: "Building Values with Values," before retiring in 1992. He's been tireless in his involvement with the community and the Catholic Church. He has been selected a Knight of Malta, the highest lay honor in the Catholic Church, and is a founder of a prison ministry at the state penitentiary in Michigan City. He also is active in Dismas House (post prison society re-entry program). The Notre Dame graduate is a founder of Project Future and has served as chairman of the Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County. -John Phair: Current Chairman of the Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Joseph County, board member of the Family & Children Center, WNIT Public Television, South Bend Civic Theatre and Project Future are just some of the many civic organizations in which he has played a key role. Phair, who has called South Bend home since 1974, acquired controlling interest of Holladay Properties in 1999 and is the managing partner of 75 partnerships, with retail development a focus of the company. He is the former chairman of Trustcorp Mortgage. -Jack Reed: Working for almost 47 years for the city of South Bend -- first as a firefighter and then as a longtime assistant to the mayor -- Reed is best known for his considerable energy and big heart. South Bend Mayor Steve Luecke called Reed a "model civil servant" following his retirement. He is currently the Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator for South Bend. In the past he has served on a number of boards and committees, including DARE, South Bend Heritage Foundation, Real Services, Disabilities Rights Commission and Juvenile Justice Center-Child Protection. -Lester Sumrall (who died in 1996): The New Orleans native spent more than 65 years serving the Lord. His evangelistic association LeSEA, based in South Bend, is still active. Regarded as the "father of Christian television," Sumrall secured the first license for 24-hour Christian television from the FCC in 1957 and launched WHMB Christian Television in Noblesville, Ind. In 1968, LeSEA Broadcasting's flagship station, WHME-TV, Harvest 101.3 FM, was launched. By the time of his death at the age of 83, Sumrall had ministered in more than 110 countries and had written more than 130 books. -Karen White: The current associate vice chancellor for Student Services/Dean of Students Indiana University South Bend has always responded when community or church called. Besides her extensive résumé in education, the former president of the South Bend City Council has been recognized by numerous organizations for her volunteer work. She serves on boards of Urban Enterprise, Community Foundation of St. Joseph County, African American Community Fund and Urban League of St. Joseph County. She has served on the South Bend Community School Corp. Family Planning Committee, the Northern Indiana Historical Society and West Side Revitalization Committee. Historical -Timothy Edward Howard: Howard came to South Bend in 1862 and graduated from Notre Dame. He fought in the Civil War and returned to Notre Dame as a professor. He also practiced law in 1886 and had a long career in politics, serving several terms on the City Council between 1878 and 1913, serving as a state senator and as an Indiana Supreme Court Justice from 1893 to 1899. His book, "History of St. Joseph County, Indiana" has been regarded as the authority on St. Joseph County. -Leopold Pokagon: He became chief of the Potawatomi of the St. Joe River Valley, the band of which he was chief taking his name, Pokagon. The Pokagon Band moved up and down the St. Joseph River. In 1830 he traveled to Detroit to request affiliation with the Catholic Church, eventually persuading Father Stephen Badin and Catholic missionaries to come to South Bend. They worked out of the Pokagons' log chapel, the famous historic landmark next to Saint Mary's Lake. Service -Ann Puzello: The former 22-year teacher in the South Bend Community School Corp. is active on the Northeast Neighborhood Council and Northeast Neighborhood Revitalization Organization, the Area Plan Commission, the city's neighborhood board, the Neighborhood Resources Corporation and the Rotary Club of South Bend. Puzello, a native of Niles, served two terms as president of the South Bend City Council and after stepping aside in 1994, is again serving the 4th District on the council. -Joseph Szalay: Born in Hungary in 1926, Szalay is well known for his 40-year career as a tailor and his love for his adopted home. From 1949 to 1956, after Russian Communists occupied Hungary, Szalay was arrested and put in work camps, farms and jails for his involvement in a Catholic Youth Organization. He came to the U.S. in 1956 by means of a sponsorship through the University of Notre Dame. Throughout his life, Szalay has given back to the community, from volunteer commitments to speaking to youths about his past and appreciation for what he has. In 1970 he was appointed to direct the public affairs committee program of the Hungarian Freedom Fighters' Federation of the United States. In 1980 he was named Indiana Catholic Layman of the Year and in 1981 he was selected as a representative to the Governor's White House Conference on Children and Youth in Indiana. Achievement -Josh Thompson: The 1997 Clay graduate has excelled since being commissioned as a U.S. Navy officer in January 2004 and earning his "wings" in 2006. He was selected as top priority in December 2006 and assigned to the forward-deployed active squadron VFA-195 "Dambusters" out of Atsugi, Japan, and now flies the F/A 18 C "Hornet" jet fighter out of Atsugi. When deployed in the Pacific, he flies off the USS Kitty Hawk. He recently qualified as a section flight lead and also serves as the public affairs officer of the squadron. Besides flying, he oversees five different work centers and mentors about 60 sailors. Corporate -Towne Air Freight: Founded by Eugene Towne in South Bend in 1963, the full-service trucking provider has been a leader in the community in employee activism. Employees have contributed time to a number of organizations, including the Youth Services Bureau, Read to a Child, Homeless Center and Habitat for Humanity.